Self-contained envelope opener



J. MELA SELF-CONTAINED ENVELOPE OPENER Oct. 4, 1960 Filed Nov. 29, 1957 FIG. 7

INVENTOR JOSEPH MELA mak 1 United States Patent SELF-CONTAINED ENVELOPE OPENER Joseph Mela, 27 Ave. de la Victoire, Nice, France Filed Nov. 29, 1951, Ser. No. 699,651 2 Claims. 01. 229-86) This invention relates to envelopes, and it particularly relates to envelopes of the type which are provided with pull means to open the envelope.

There have, heretofore, been various attempts to make envelopes with pull means such as tear-strips, pull strings, and the like, for the purpose of facilitating the opening of a sealed envelope. generally either too expensive to be economically feasible or were not sufiiciently effective since they tended to form ragged or torn edges when used.

vThev present invention has for one of its objects to provide an envelope which, unlike the prior devices, is both effective for its purpose and yet so inexpensive to manufacture as to be completely economically feasible.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an envelope having self-opening means wherein the selfopening means itself adds to the appearance of the envelope.

Another object'of the present invention is to provide a self-opening means on an envelope which does not add materially to the bulk of the envelope nor interfere in any manner with the contents of the envelope.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide an improved self-opening envelope, of the character described, that is easily and economically produced, which is sturdy in construction, and which is highly eflicient in operation.

With the above and related objects in view, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts, as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of an envelope provided with an opening means embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the envelope of Fig. 1 showing the envelope in opened up, spread apart condition whereby the interior thereof is open to view.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of an envelope having a modified form of opening means embodying the present invention. Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the envelope of Fig. 3 in opened up, spread apart condition to disclose the interior thereof.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, side elevational view of a corner of an envelope having one type of pull tab.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 of an envelope having another type of pull tab.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5 of an envelope having a third type of pull tab.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 5 of an envelope having a fourth type of pull tab.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawing wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts, there is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 an envelope of paper or the like, generally designated 10, comprising a front panel -12, a bottom rear flap 14, two side rear flaps 16 and a top rear flap 18. The flap 14 is bent up in the ICQ The distinguishing elements in Figs. 1 and 2 comprise the ribbon of any desired material such as Nylon cord or the like. The ribbon 20' extends along the bottom edge of the front panel 12 on the interior surface of the panel 12. The ribbon 20 is coincident with lower edge of the panel 12 and its lower edge coincides with 12 to form an extension 22.

However, these prior devices were .313

the hinge line between the flap 14 and the panel 12.

. As shown in Fig. 2, the right end of ribbon 20 coincides with the right edge of panel 12; however, the left end of ribbon 20 extends beyond the left edge of panel This left end extension 22 of ribbon 20 is drawn through a slit in the envelope between the panel 12 and the left hand flap 16, at the lower portion of the intersection between the panel 12 and left flap 16. This is best shown in Fig. 2. This slit is positioned in the lower left hand corner when viewing the envelope from the rear, as in Fig. 2, and in the lower right corner when viewing the envelope from the front as in Fig. 1.

The extension 22 is then, after being passed through the corner slit, brought up in diagonal position on the right lower corner of the front panel 12 where it forms a tab to be grasped. The tab 22 is then adhered in its diagonal position on the front face of the envelope while the ribbon 20 is adhered in place on the interior lower edge as shown. The panels 14 and 16 are then sealed together to form the rear surface of the completed envelope.

With the envelope formed as above, after the contents have been inserted through the opening formed by flap 18, and after flap 18 has been sealed in place, when it is desired to open the envelope to remove its contents, the tab 22 is pulled away from its adherence against the panel 12, and then firmly pulled away. This pulls away the ribbon 20 which, since it is adhered to the rear bottom edge of the panel 12, acts like a tear strip to make a straight opening along the bottom of the envelope.

The ribbon Z0 and its extension tab 22, being very thin, do not add materially to either the bulk or weight of the envelope while the ribbon 20 itself, except for the tab 22, is completely concealed so that the general appearance of the envelope is similar to any other envelope.

In Figs. 3 and 4, there is shown a modified form of the invention wherein the tear strip arrangement extends around two adjacent edges of the envelope so that it is much simpler to extract papers of relatively thick bulk from the interior of the envelope. Here, the envelope, generally designated 24, also comprises a front panel 26, a bottom rear flap 28, two side rear flaps 30 and a top rear flap 32; all similar to the corresponding parts of envelope 10 and all adapted to be sealed together by a suitable adhesive along corresponding edges, in a manner similar to envelope 10.

In envelope 24, a ribbon 34, similar in construction to ribbon 20, is provided at the lower, interior edge of panel 26. However, in addition to extension 36, substantially similar to extension 22, the ribbon 34 is provided with an integral, perpendicular extension 38 along the interior edge of panel 26 adjacent its hinge connection with the right flap 30 as viewed in Fig. 4.

The extension 36, although generally similar in construction and arrangement to extension 22, is brought through a slit 39 diagonally spaced from the corner of the envelope. This spacing has the advantage that there is no weakening of the fold at the corner of the envelope as is inherent in the corner-type slit used in Figs. 1 and a. If desired, this spaced type of slit 39 can also be any desired indicia printed thereon: For example; in- Fig. '5, the tab40 has a large center space bounded by aline along each edge and the Wordspuil* tojopen?" imprinted thereon for guidance to the receiver of the enve lope. In Fig, 6, the tab 42 does not;have-any"indicia* imprinted thereon but is' provided with a wax; seal 44 which seals the tab 42' to the envelope. This seal 44 has the form of an arrow to indicate that the tab is tobe pulled and the word pull impressedion the wax seal 44. In Fig, 7, awax seal 46, somewhat similartoseal 44; is

used; however, the seal 46 is in;the form off an official looking wax blob and is impressed with either the corn-- pany name or the company or-product trademark or the like. In Fig. 8, the tab 48 is-impressed-with the'national' colorssuch as. the red, white and blue tricolor of France or, as it may be, of theUnited States;

In all of the above instances, the tab portion; of; the tear ribbon serves not only its functional purpose, but also serves as a distinctive and pleasing ornament for the envelope. f

Although this invention has been described in" considerable detail, such description 'is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may, be. variously embodied, and the scope oi the invention is to, be determined as claimed.

Having thus set forth, and disclosedthe nature of, this invention, what is claimed is: i t

1. An envelope comprising a front panel and a rear portion, a' hinge fold between the lower edge of said front panel and the lower edge of said rear portion, a ribbon adhered along the interior, lower edge portion of said front panel with the lower edgeof said ribbon coinsiding, with the hinge fold, said ribbon extending substantially fully along the length of said hinge fold and having anextension at one end; said extension passing through aslit. in, said, front. panel, said slit beingpositioned' in said'front panel in a position diagonally'spaced, from a corner, of, said front panel, said extension being positioned diagonally against and adhered to the exterior surface of said frontpanel:

2. The envelopeofclaim l whereinsaid ribbon is provided with a further extension at its opposite end, said further extension comprising a perpendicular portion coincident with the correspondingside edge of said front panel and arranged on its interior side edge portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent- UNITED STATES ,PATENT'S 185,727 Collins Dec. 26, 1876 1,667,258 Hollar Apr. 24, 1928 2,257,413 Chandler Sept. 30,1941

7 FOREIGN PATENTSI p 13,712 Great Britain 1892 33,850 Switzerland May 17, 1905 336,440 Italy,- ,Feb. 17, v 1936 358,164. France Dec. 8, 1905.

France Oct. 3,, 1925 

